Theatre practices for children and young people have been gaining in popularity in India for its ability to address needs of young people, for its ‘edutainment’ value (combining educational and entertainment values) and for being key to the education of schools, families and communities through India’s National Curriculum Framework (2005).

Australia has recently had the opportunity to learn from India's integration of theatre for young audiences in a curriculum framework setting, in light of the newly proposed Australian National Curriculum.

Australian experts in young people's theatre, Young People and the Arts Australia (YPAA) Executive Director, Jim Lawson, and Riverland Youth Theatre (RYT) Artistic Director, Olivia Allen, were invited to and recently presented at the inaugural ASSITEJ India conference: Theatre for Young Audience: Concept, Need and Possibilities, in New Delhi.

Lawson reflected that attending the conference opened opportunities for the exchange of ideas, people, and the arts with India. It will continue to strategically assist in the growth of YPAA's members’ international capacity and strengthen Australia as a leader of the youth arts industry in the south East Asia and Oceania regions.

“The conference provided valuable opportunities for YPAA members across the country to engage in exchange and collaboration with theatre youth arts organisations and practitioners from India”, says Jim Lawson, Director of YPAA.

“This has been an important profile-raising opportunity for RYT and YPAA, and it was fantastic to network with youth companies for potential project partnerships, and to promote RYT programs”, says Olivia Allen, Artistic Director of RYT.

The inaugural Theatre for Young Audience conference brought together audience, performers and activists to address contemporary concerns of practices of theatre for young audiences and plan for the future.

It was a unique international event that highlighted the increasing recognition that theatre arts and education are integrally related. It brought performing artists, educationists, teachers, playwrights, critics, and parents together to catalyse conversations on arts intervention through theatre, and on the art of theatre for children and young people. Over the three days, it focused on the topics of theatre practices, theatre and education, and writing for young people.

Conference participation was by invitation only. Lawson was requested to attend as a direct result meeting with Imran Khan, ASSITEJ India General Secretary and ASSITEJ International Executive Committee member, at the 17th ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival for Young Audiences in Denmark and Sweden in May 2011.

Young People and the Arts Australia, ASSITEJ Australia Inc (YPAA) is the national peak body for organisations and practitioners that engage children and young people in the arts, and has been the Australian Centre for ASSITEJ International since 1975.

Riverland Youth Theatre (RYT) is a contemporary performing arts organisation for young people based in regional South Australia, and is a member of YPAA.

For over 35 years, YPAA has been the Australian centre for the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People (otherwise known as ASSITEJ, which is a French acronym for Association International du Theatre pour l’Enfance et la Jeunesse)

About Young People and the Arts Australia, ASSITEJ Australia Inc (YPAA)

Young People and the Arts Australia, ASSITEJ Australia Inc is the national peak body for organisations and practitioners that engage children and young people in the arts. YPAA has been the Australian Centre for ASSITEJ since 1975. Core to YPAA's mission is supporting children and young people’s rights to access quality arts and culture in Australia by developing Australia's youth arts sector.

YPAA has been the ASSITEJ Australia Centre since 1975.


About ASSITEJ

ASSITEJ is a French acronym for Association International du Theatre pour l’Enfance et la Jeunesse, otherwise known as the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People. It is an international network that is affiliated to UNESCO and unites a network of thousands of theatres, organisations and individuals in around 80 member countries. It is a membership based, non political organisation with a commitment to peace and the rights of children and young people.

The 17th ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival for Young Audiences (ASSITEJ 2011) was recently held in Denmark and Sweden 20-29 May, and played host to over 30 Australian YPAA members.
It is the world’s biggest cultural event for young people and their families.